TMNT 2003: From One Brother to Another
by Clovee93
Summary: Takes place during Good Genes Part 2. What if Mikey did get hurt by one of the Foot Elite members during the turtles' mission to get Karai's pendant in exchange for Donnie's cure from Agent Bishop, in order to protect his brother Leo in the process instead? My first 'What-if' Story. I do not own TMNT 2003.


TMNT 2003: From One Brother to Another

_Takes place during Good Genes Part 2. What if Mikey did get hurt by one of the Foot Elite members during the turtles' mission to get Karai's pendant in exchange for Donnie's cure from Agent Bishop, in order to protect his brother Leo in the process?_

_My first 'What-if' story. I do not own TMNT 2003._

/

"Mikey, get to the elevator! Don't worry about me, I'll be right behind you, just get out!" Leo shouted out to his little brother before his katana came into contact with an Elite's weapon again.

Said turtle reluctantly did what his older brother told him to do and headed towards the elevator with the pendant in hand. Before he made a few steps forward, however, he suddenly heard a loud noise coming from the other side of the wall before something broke through it and a familiar voice was heard soon after.

"Get out…? I just got here!"

It was Raph, and he was inside a large robotic suit that had the Foot's emblem on it.

Mikey looked up at him in awe before he saw an Elite sneaking towards Leo at the corner of his eye, and he could tell that his brother was too busy dealing with two other Elite members to acknowledge this.

With not enough time to warn him, Mikey headed straight towards Leo just as the sneaking Elite member began to charge forward in an attempt to strike him with his weapon in a surprise attack. It was then that Leo managed to catch a glimpse of him before he was suddenly pushed away from his range.

And it wasn't until he heard a scream of agony that he knew the reason why.

"AARRGH!"

When Leo quickly looked up at the source of the scream, his eyes widened in shock and horror; his orange-banded little brother was standing tall next to him and the Elite member was standing in front of him with his bladed weapon impaled into Mikey's stomach, causing it to bleed, and Mikey was looking straight at the Elite member with widened eyes and open mouth.

"MIKEY!" Both Leo and Raph shouted out in unison before the Elite member slowly pulled out his weapon and they all watched as Mikey gasped and placed his hands over the stab wound before he collapsed onto the ground with a pained grunt.

"You'll pay for dat!" Raph roared as he moved at a fast pace in his 'borrowed' tech suit, despite its heavy weight, and he managed to knock the Elite member away from his wounded brother before he went on to keep the other members and Karai busy.

Leo, on the other hand, just sat there for a moment before he snapped straight out of his shocked state and quickly went over to Mikey and gathered him into his arms whilst assessing the damage done at the same time.

The stab wound was located in the centre of Mikey's plastron and it looked around 10cm long or more, and it was bleeding a lot due to how deep it was, so Leo removed his blue mask and folded it to place it on top of the wound to try and slow down the bleeding.

"Mikey, can you hear me!?" Leo said to his baby brother desperately to try and get him to open his eyes before he spoke again. "You're going to be ok, little brother… Just keep holding on…"

"Ngh…" Mikey grunted painfully before he opened his eyes wide enough to see his oldest brother looking at him with a worried look on his face before he smiled and spoke weakly. "L-Leo…? Y-You're…o-ok…?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm ok…thanks to you…" Leo said with relief in his voice after hearing his brother respond to him before he became serious again. "Now, just take it easy, we're going to get you out of here…"

Leo then activated his communicating device on the side of his head and signalled April to bring the Turtle Copter up.

Mikey then suddenly winced in pain in Leo's arms before he spoke again. "H-here…t-the pendant…go…s-save Donnie…" He lifted his hand with Karai's pendant held securely in it and brought it closer to Leo to try and get him to take it from him.

"No, Mikey…If anyone's going to guard and protect the pendant until we get it to Bishop, it's you! Don't give up on me now, Donnie is waiting for all of us to come back alive and cure him!" Leo said firmly but softly, unaccepting the pendant and lowered his brother's hand with his own instead.

"B-But-" Mikey tried to argue back but he was hit with a coughing fit, resulting in him wincing and groaning in pain before gasping for air.

"Don't talk anymore, Mikey…April and Casey will be here soon," Leo said as he removed Mikey's mask from his face to use with his own as bandages to keep the wound from bleeding out even more.

As if right on queue, the Turtle Copter appeared in front of a huge hole in the wall, which was made by explosives that Raph launched during his rampage against Karai and the Foot Elite, and Leo turned his head to look at Raph who was still fighting them.

"Raph, help me with Mikey! Hurry!" He shouted to him with his leader-like tone.

Raph knocked out the Elite and stunned Karai before he left the tech suit and ran swiftly towards his brothers.

Leo continued to keep the pressure on the stab wound whilst Raph carried Mikey to the Turtle Copter, but before he climbed into the chopper he heard Karai call out to him.

"Leonardo! Face me!" She said in a persuasive but venomous tone. Leo was about to take out his katana and move towards her before he felt a hand grab his shoulder and he turned his head to find that it was Mikey who was trying to remind him about what the mission was really about.

"G-get in, g-get out…r-right? It's…n-not about…K-Karai…right…?" He said breathlessly, and he watched as Leo looked back and forth from him to Karai and then sheathed his katana back into their cases before saying, "Right…"

The turtles got into the Turtle Copter and April set off back towards Bishop's secret base, whilst they heard Karai shout out in defeat as she watched them leave.

_/_

_-Break-_

_/_

In the back of the Turtle Copter, Leo and Raph were searching high and low for any first aid medical supplies to patch up Mikey's stab wound whilst Casey took their shift in keeping pressure on it before they finally came across a red-coloured first aid box and sighed in relief when they opened it to find plenty of equipment that they needed inside to do the job.

After removing Leo's and Mikey's masks from the wound, they placed most of the gauze patches on top of the wound and held them there using medical tape before they finally wrapped it up by using one of the thick bandage rolls. Once he and Leo knew for sure that the bandage was held securely on the wound, Raph turned to look at Mikey who had a pained look on his face and his breathing was shallow but heavy before he took one of his little brother's hands and held it to support him.

"Mikey…hang in there, please…for Donnie…!" Raph begged sadly to his little brother before he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he turned his head to see Leo looking at him with a sad but determined look on his face.

"Don't worry, Raph, Mikey will make it. After all, he knows that Donnie would be heartbroken if he found out that his little brother and best friend lost his life in order to save his…" Leo said as he gave his brother's shoulder a gentle squeeze before he continued. "Also, I owe him for saving me back there…"

"Y-Yeah, you're right, bro…" Raph said shakily whilst trying to keep his developing tears from falling.

"We'll be arriving at Bishop's lair in a few minutes, guys. There's also an oxygen tank somewhere for Mikey if his breathing gets worse," April said to them whilst she piloted the Turtle Copter.

"I'll go get it for ya," Casey said as he went over to where the oxygen tank was and took it closer to Mikey before Leo attached a breathing mask to the tank and placed it carefully onto his brother's face before he turned on the oxygen.

"There, this should help him for a little while," Leo said before he watched as his baby brother started to breathe a little easier than before. "Thank goodness, it's working…" He said before he turned to Raph who had a sad smile on his face.

"He's a fighter...just like us, bro…" Raph said before he wrapped an arm around Leo's shoulders and held him close in a sideways hug as he saw tears start to develop in his big brother's eyes. Leo accepted the hug as he leaned in closer and buried his face into Raph's shoulder before saying in a muffled voice, "I know…"

"We're here, guys!" April suddenly announced as they arrived at the front of Area 51, where Bishop was waiting for them inside.

"How are we going ta do this? We can't leave Mikey in here like dis since April has ta pilot da Turtle Copter outta here as soon as we get Donnie back!" Raph questioned Leo in a concerned tone.

"We won't be gone long, Raph, he'll be fine with Casey watching over him. We go in, hand over the pendant, get the cure for Donnie and then head straight back!" Leo answered his red-banded brother with a confident look on his face before he turned to Mikey.

"We'll be right back, Mikey, with Donnie cured and everyone safe. We won't be long, ok...?" He said softly to his baby brother before he gave him a kiss on his forehead and then jumped out of the Turtle Copter and headed straight for the entrance, with Raph following him closely from behind.

/

_-Break-_

/

Leo and Raph entered inside the facility to see Master Splinter waiting for them with Bishop standing behind him with a smirk on his face. Although Master Splinter was happy to see them, he noticed straight away that Mikey wasn't with them.

"My sons, where is Michelangelo?" Master Splinter asked with slight anxiousness in his voice.

"He's in the Turtle Copter, Master Splinter; badly wounded but still alive…" Leo replied whilst trying his best to maintain his calm posture after he saw his father and sensei look at him with a shocked expression on his face before he turned around to face Bishop.

"I trust that you kept your end of our deal," Bishop said before he raised a hand out for one of them to hand over the pendant to him.

With the pendant in hand and after being given a nod of approval by Master Splinter, Leo cautiously approached Bishop and handed it over to him.

A moment after doing this, the sound of alarms suddenly rang out throughout the whole facility, causing Leo and the others to become startled before they heard Bishop speak.

"You have 15 minutes to get your brother and leave the facility before it self destructs. Pleasure doing business with you…" Seconds later, he disappeared in an underground room.

"Come on, let's get Donnie and get outta here!" Raph said before he, Leo and Master Splinter hurried to where Donnie and Leatherhead were held.

"Leatherhead, how's Donnie?" Leo shouted out as soon as he saw them, and he noticed that the holding container with Donnie inside began to fog up with the cure whilst he heard Donnie roar and pound on the clear wall again to try and get out.

Then, the noise stopped before the container door opened and Donnie appeared from the smoke and he was back to his normal self again!

"Hey guys…what's up…" He said tiredly before he swayed and fell forward, but Leatherhead was there in a flash to catch him.

"I have you, my friend," He said with a smile on his face as he wrapped his arms gently around the young turtle before everyone cheered and went over to see him with relieved smiles of their own.

When Donnie came around a bit and looked at his brothers with a smile of his own, he noticed that his immediate younger brother was not there with them. "Guys, where's Mikey?" He asked with a confused but concerned look on his face before Raph answered him.

"He's in da Turtle Copter with April and Casey, Donnie. We'll take ya ta him, come on…"

Raph took Donnie from Leatherhead and placed his own arm around Donnie's shell whilst he grabbed one of Donnie's arms and wrapped it around his shoulders before he began the task of guiding his immediate younger brother back to the Turtle copter, with the others running close behind him.

Soon, everyone managed to get into the turtle copter which took off just in time before the whole facility within Area 51 exploded in a ball of flames, causing everything to collapse and turn to ashes.

However, there was no sign of a celebration for a job well done, because when Donnie saw Mikey laid down on top of a blanket with a thick bandage on his plastron and an oxygen mask on his face, he gasped and his eyes widened in horror.

"W-What…What happened to Mikey!?" He said loudly as he turned to look at his older brothers with tears developing in his eyes.

"Let's sit down first, Donnie, and we'll explain everything. In the meantime, Leatherhead and Master Splinter will look after Mikey," Leo answered him gently before he guided him to one of the seats and sat him down before he and Raph did the same. Master Splinter then came over to Donnie and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and gave him his purple mask before he spoke.

"I am glad to have you back, my son…" Donnie looked at him and nodded without a word before he slowly took his mask back and watched his father and sensei head off to help Leatherhead with Mikey.

"Ok, Don, I know you just got back to your normal self again but I need you to stay calm and listen to what I'm about to say, ok?" Leo said gently. Donnie looked at his oldest brother and nodded to let him know that he understood and was ready for him to talk.

"Alright…here's what happened; Bishop told us that if he was to cure you, then we needed to do something for him in return, which was to retrieve a special item from Karai," Leo began and then gave Donnie a moment to process the first sentence before he continued.

"We entered the Foot Clan's lair and we separated into two teams; Raph on his own to go elsewhere and Mikey and I went together to the room where the artefact was being kept. When we got there and grabbed it, Karai and the Elite Guard appeared and attacked us." Donnie anxiously nodded with a hum before Leo continued again with his story.

"The Elite Guard was all over us, even with Raph in a Foot Mech suit when he reunited with us, and whilst I was busy fighting two of them in front of me, I didn't notice that a third one was about to attack me out of nowhere from behind… until Mikey pushed me out of the way...and took the hit for me…" Leo ended his story and turned his head away from Donnie to hide away the tears that were developing in his eyes.

Donnie just looked at his blue-banded brother with widened eyes before he placed a hand over his mouth and he let the tears he had in his eyes earlier fall down his cheeks.

"W-Why…why did he…" Donnie struggled to speak out due to not understanding why Mikey would put his own life on the line like that.

"My guess is that…he didn't have time to call out and warn me, so…" Leo said quietly whilst he looked over and watched Master Splinter and Leatherhead tend to Mikey who was still out of it but his breathing was the same as it was before they left him.

Leo then turned his face back to look at Donnie and spoke again whilst a small but proud smile developed on his face. "You should have seen what Mikey tried to do during the battle, bro; he tried to pass the pendant on to me so that Raph and I would carry on and save you without him, but I refused to do so obviously. It was like he was only focused on saving you and keeping all of us safe instead of thinking about himself, you know…I can't tell you how proud I am of him, despite the situation that we were in earlier…"

Donnie and Raph both looked at Leo in surprise before they too developed a small smile on their faces and nodded with him in agreement.

"Yeah…dat knucklehead's always putting others first before himself…" Raph said before he heard Donnie hum to say that he agreed with him.

"Michelangelo!?"

The three turtle brothers suddenly heard Leatherhead call out their baby brother's name and they all looked to see that Mikey was groaning whilst moving his head slowly from side to side with his face full of pain. They also noticed that Mikey's eyes were slightly open, but they showed signs of fear.

"Mikey…?" Donnie said as he stood up before he was held back by his brothers. "Let me see him, please!"

"Donnie, you need to rest first," Leo said calmly to his purple-banded brother, but Donnie was having none of it.

"No! I need to see him because he's scared and he's trying to look for me! Besides, I owe him for his part in saving me…" He said before he slowly started to move towards his baby brother with his older brothers staying close to him in case he collapsed again.

As soon as he got closer to Mikey, Donnie knelt down near his side and placed a comforting hand on his head and another hand on his chest, causing Mikey to stop and relax before he looked on ahead to see his immediate older brother smiling down at him.

"Hey, baby bro…it's ok…I'm here…it's me, Donnie…"

"D-Don-nie…" Mikey whispered before he faintly smiled through his oxygen mask and closed his eyes as he began to cry with tears of pain and joy falling from his eyes.

"Shhh…that's right, Mikey…I'm back now…thanks to you and everyone else," Donnie responded softly whilst he gently rubbed his little brother's head to comfort him and then wiped his tears from his face with his other hand.

"Leatherhead, what's the status of Mikey's condition?" Leo suddenly asked due to his concern about Mikey's current state.

"Michelangelo's wound is deep and I am concerned that there may be internal bleeding judging by the low blood pressure readings on the monitor that I had just connected onto him," Leatherhead explained calmly but with a hint of concern in his voice.

Suddenly, Mikey began to cough and everyone's eyes went wide as they saw blood splatter on the inside of his oxygen mask and some of it trickled down the side of his mouth.

"We must get him back home and treat his wound quickly!" Master Splinter hissed out quietly before everyone went into action to keep Mikey stable until they got back to the lair.

"April, step on it!" Casey shouted out towards April who slightly increased the flight speed to go faster towards the lair.

"Leo, turn his head to the right so that he doesn't choke on his own blood!" Donnie commanded Leo who did what he was told and turned Mikey's head to the right and removed the oxygen mask before he watched Donnie place a small suction tube into his mouth to help clear his airway from the blood.

"Come on, Mikey…Hold on for just a little while longer…" Leo pleaded his little brother whilst he kept his head tilted to the right as Mikey spewed out another mouthful of blood.

"Don't die on us, bro…" Raph begged whilst he held his little brother's hand firmly but gently in his own hands for support.

"Stay with me, Mikey…I won't let you slip away from us, not after everything we've been through…!" Donnie said firmly but softly to his little brother before Leatherhead came over to give him a hand.

"Do not worry, my friends, I will do everything I can to help you save Michelangelo. Besides, I would not be with good friends like you if he and I had never met…" Leatherhead spoke out with a determined smile and small tears developing in his eyes before he saw everyone nod and smile at him in agreement and then went back to continue with the task of stabilizing the orange-banded turtle until they returned to the lair.

/

_-Break-_

/

The Turtle Copter finally reached the lair and everyone wasted no time in moving Mikey towards the infirmary. By now, Mikey was struggling to breathe due to the lack of oxygen from the blood loss.

Shortly after doing so, Leo, Raph, Master Splinter, and Casey were told to leave the infirmary to give Leatherhead, April and Donnie some space to work. However, there were concerns about allowing Donnie to help since he had only just turned back to normal, but Donnie stubbornly refused to back down.

"I am not going to just turn my back and walk away from this! Mikey helped save me, so let me help save him in return!" He said firmly with no signs of backing down despite the slight tiredness he was currently feeling. Leo sighed before he spoke.

"Alright, Donnie, but you must promise us that you won't push yourself too hard and to take a break if you're not feeling well, ok? We just got you back after all…"

"Don't worry, Leo, I promise you that I'll take it easy. Now if you'll excuse me…" Donnie said before he turned and walked back into the infirmary to help April and Leatherhead save Mikey, with Leo and the others watching him go with concerned but hopeful faces.

_/_

_3 hours later…_

Leo and Casey were sat next to each other on the long sofa, and Master Splinter was sat on the single sofa chair with his eyes closed next to them, meaning that he was in deep meditation to try and calm his spirit. Raph, on the other hand, was in the training area pacing back and forth with a frustrated look on his face.

It had been some time now since they last saw Mikey and their anxiety had begun to rise since then, Leo's especially.

He still couldn't believe that his baby brother took the attack for him, and here he thought that he was now 100% there for him and his other brothers after his training away in Japan, and he was also hoping to speak to him when he is well again to ask him why he did what he did to protect him. However, Leo knew that it may take a long time for Mikey to fully recover from his injuries, especially with how serious they were.

Casey looked at Leo before he looked at Raph and Master Splinter, and then he stood up with a determined look on his face before he broke the silence.

"Come on, guys…why are ya getting so worked up about dis? Mikey is going ta be fine and it's like they say, 'no news is good news', right?"

Raph stopped pacing and looked at his human best friend with a firm look on his face before he slowly started to walk towards him as he spoke.

"Dat's easy fa you ta say, Casey, but ya wouldn't be saying dat if it was _your _brother's life on da line! So, shut it!" This caused Casey to back away with both his hands raised up to tell him that he never meant to offend anybody before Leo stood up and spoke next.

"Calm down, Raph...! Casey was only trying to help us by lifting our moods up with some positivity, that's all!"

"Yeah, well da only guy I know who can do a better job in doing dat is Mikey, and he ain't here ta do dat cos he's in _there_ fighting fa his life!" Raph said heatedly as he pointed at the closed door of the infirmary.

"We know that, Raph. _I _know that…and I know that Mikey's in there because of _me_! So…go ahead…yell and blame everything on me…I know you're thinking about doing that cos…I already blame myself…I just…" Leo said as his voice started to crack and his eyes began to fill with tears before he covered his eyes with one hand and turned away with his shell-covered back facing Raph and Casey to hide his guilt and shame.

Raph's angry face started to soften and his eyes widened as soon as he saw his immediate older brother, the courageous and brave leader of the team, break down in front of him.

"Hey, hey, no…I don't blame ya, bro," he said as he walked over to Leo, wrapped an arm around his shoulders and gave him a gentle squeeze to comfort him before he continued speaking. "Da only one ta blame fa dis is dat dirtbag, Bishop. What Mikey did fa ya just shows how brave and noble he really is ta all of us…so don't feel like his actions were all fa nothing, cos they weren't…I'm sorry fa blowing up on ya like dat, bro…"

Leo heard everything that his immediate little brother said to him and he removed his hand from his upper face to reveal his sad tear-filled eyes as he looked at Raph in disbelief, before he heard Master Splinter speak.

"My son, we all know that you did everything you could to keep your brothers, including Michelangelo, safe from harm but there is nothing to stop the _team member _from protecting their _leader _instead. You cannot stop or prevent that from happening, no matter how hard you try, Leonardo, because Michelangelo's actions were made out of love for you since you are his older brother…"

"S-Sensei…" Leo said in surprise after what he had just heard from his father and sensei before he went over to him and gave him a gentle hug and said, "Thank you", making Master Splinter smile and return his hug.

Suddenly, the sound of the infirmary door opening startled the guys and they turned towards it to see April and Leatherhead come out with exhaustion clearly shown on their faces.

"Guys…? Is Mikey…? Leo asked nervously before he saw April look up at him with a small smile before she spoke.

"Well, it was close but we managed to clean and stitch up the stab wound, which punctured his stomach slightly, and his plastron should heal on its own in a few months' time. However, he's lost a lot of blood and we only have one bag of his blood type, which isn't enough…" It was then that Leatherhead spoke up next.

"According to Donatello, the closest match to Michelangelo's blood type is Raphael. Is that correct?"

Leo and the others looked at each other before Raph stepped forward and spoke with a determined look on his face. "Yeah, I'm a match…so if ya need more, then hook me up!"

Everyone smiled at Raph as he left with Leatherhead to start the blood transfusion in the lab area next to the infirmary before Leo spoke to April with concern in his voice.

"Speaking of Donnie, he didn't come out with you to see us. Is he ok? He didn't collapse from exhaustion, did he!?"

"No, no, he's fine, Leo…he decided to stay with Mikey to keep him company, but he then fell asleep a few minutes before we left the infirmary. You're allowed to go and see them both if you want," April answered calmly before she walked away towards the kitchen to wash Mikey's blood off of her hands and then made herself a cup of coffee since it was very late in the evening.

"Come on, Leo, let's go see your little brothers," Casey said to Leo as he placed a hand on his shoulder. Leo nodded before he, Casey and Master Splinter set off towards the infirmary to see his brothers.

/

-Break-

/

As soon as they entered through the door, the guys noticed that the infirmary's lights were dimmed to a softer light level, so they walked in the room carefully to avoid bumping into something and cause any noise that might disturb Leo's brothers.

Master Splinter was the first to spot his two younger sons because of his sensitive eyesight and he signaled Leo and Casey to look into the same direction that he was facing.

When they walked closer to them, their hearts melted at the sight; Mikey was out cold and laid on his bed with only his head and shoulders propped up by the pillows and an oxygen mask was placed on his face and an IV fluid drip was inserted in one of his arms, and they could just see the bandages on his plastron from underneath the blanket, whilst Donnie was sat on his chair next to Mikey's bed and he was fast asleep with his head resting on the side of the mattress and one of his own hands was holding one of Mikey's hands.

"My little brothers…" Leo whispered with tears developing in his eyes again before he watched as Master Splinter quietly approached Donnie and placed a blanket over his shoulders, knowing that he would want to stay with his little brother instead of going to bed in his own room.

Casey then gave Leo a gentle nudge on his shoulder to encourage him to go over and see Mikey, which had worked, and he watched as Leo slowly walked to the other side of Mikey's bed and looked at his baby brother before he gently held his other hand into his own before he spoke in a shaky but soft voice.

"Hey, Mikey…I-I can't tell you how…how proud you've made me and the others tonight…you saved my life by risking your own…and I don't know your true reasons why but…I know that, what you did…was noble and brave of you either way…so, thank you…" By now, the tears in Leo's eyes were streaming down his cheeks and Leo tried but failed to wipe them away with his other hand before he sniffled and continued on. "I…I'm glad that you're ok…and slowly getting better, Mikey…and, always remember that…I love you, little brother…"

Leo then leaned in closer to Mikey and gave him a soft kiss on his forehead, before he saw a now awake and smiling Donnie looking up at him at the corner of his eye.

"Hey, Leo…" Donnie said sleepily since he just woke up before he slowly raised his head from the mattress.

"Donnie…you looked exhausted, you should rest a little more," said Leo with concern in his voice when he saw how tired his purple-banded brother looked.

"I'm fine, bro…I can stay up a bit longer…besides, I'm more concerned about how long Leatherhead is taking with the second blood bag…" Donnie said worryingly as he rubbed his eyes and looked at the nearly-empty blood bag that was connected to Mikey's other arm.

A moment after saying that, Leatherhead came in with a new bag full of blood in one hand and a tired-looking Raph walking next to him with his arm on Leatherhead's other arm.

"Hello, my friends, I have brought the second blood bag for Michelangelo," He said with a warm smile as he walked towards the three turtles whilst guiding Raph to them at the same time.

"Hey, bros…" Raph said quietly with his eyes drooping due to the effects of donating blood.

"Hey, Raph...come and sit here, you need it more than me right now," Donnie said to him as he pointed at his chair for Raph to sit on.

Once Raph was settled onto the seat, Leatherhead went ahead with the procedure of changing the now-empty blood bag with the full one, with the others watching over Mikey for any changes that may occur during the process. After finishing the replacement of the blood bag, Leatherhead then checked the IV fluid bag and Mikey's vitals on the monitors and told the turtles that Mikey was no longer in any more danger, much to their relief, before he and Casey left the room to give the turtles some time alone.

"Mikey should be ok once the second blood bag has been emptied," Donnie said before he placed a hand on Mikey's head as he continued talking. "Hopefully, he'll wake up in a day or two..." Donnie then stifled a yawn, which didn't go unnoticed by Leo.

"You really need to go back to bed, Donnie, I don't want you collapsing on us," Leo said firmly but softly to his purple-banded brother with Raph nodding in agreement before they heard Donnie sigh in defeat.

"Alright, alright… I'll get some more sleep, but I'll be doing that in _here _and on one of the spare beds, ok?" Donnie said stubbornly before he made his way to one of the spare infirmary beds and laid down on it.

Leo just looked on whilst shaking his head and thinking how stubborn his purple-banded brother was being before he turned back to Mikey's bed to see that Raph had laid his head in the same place on the mattress as where Donnie was previously, and he was fast asleep whilst holding his baby brother's hand.

This caused Leo to smile, and he made his way towards him with another blanket since Donnie took his to bed with him and he carefully placed it over his shoulders before giving him a goodnight kiss on his head.

"Sleep well, bro," Leo said softly before he grabbed another chair and moved to the other side of the bed to see Mikey, who was still out cold but was breathing better than he was before he was returned to the lair. He sat on his chair and reached out to hold his little brother's other hand in his own.

"Goodnight, little brother, and don't worry; we'll be here when you wake up…" Leo said before he gave Mikey a goodnight kiss as well on his forehead.

A moment later, Leo let out a long but quiet yawn and slowly laid his own head on the side of the mattress whilst he kept his hand in Mikey's as he slowly fell into a peaceful sleep.

_/_

_-Break-_

/

_The next day…_

Leo quickly opened his eyes as he was suddenly awakened by a light squeezing sensation on his hand. He slowly lifted his head up a bit from the mattress to look and see for certain if he thought was right, and sure enough, he saw Mikey's hand twitching firmly against his own, and then he heard his little brother groan.

"Mikey?" Leo whispered as he turned his head to look at Mikey's face, which was scrunched up as if he was either in pain or was trying to wake up. "It's ok, Mikey…open your eyes…" He encouraged his little brother whilst gently squeezing his hand.

Whilst this was going on, Leatherhead saw what was happening during his observation on Mikey's vitals on the monitor and he went to go and wake Donnie up.

"Donatello, your brother Michelangelo is starting to come around," He said after Donnie woke up with a start before he watched him swiftly get out of his bed and head towards his little brother's bed and called out his name.

"Mikey?"

"He's struggling to wake up….is Raph still asleep?" Leo said before he looked over at Raph who was still quietly snoring away. Donnie placed a hand on his red-banded brother's shoulder and gently shook him to try and wake him up.

"Raph, get up! Mikey's trying to wake up!" Don said firmly but quietly before he saw Raph suddenly rise up from his sleeping spot with wide-open eyes.

"Wha…Mikey…?" Raph said as he looked from Donnie to Mikey before he regained his composure and held his little brother's other hand with both of his own whilst he watched as Mikey was still trying to come around.

"Come on, bro…you can do it," Raph cheered his baby brother on softly whilst gently squeezing his hand to support him.

"Leatherhead, go and get Master Splinter!" Donnie told Leatherhead who nodded and went straight out of the infirmary to fetch Master Splinter so that he could see his youngest son wake up. Donnie then turned back to look at Mikey again before he placed his hand on his brother's head, causing Mikey to stop and relax before he spoke.

"We're here, Mikey…it's ok…"

"Ngh…" Mikey groaned before he slowly opened his eyes, making his older brothers lean in slightly closer to him.

"That's it, bro…keep going…" Leo said whilst stroking his little brother's hand.

Mikey's eyes began to open a bit more before he squinted due to the bright light, which Donnie immediately dimmed down before he watched his little brother resume in opening his eyes again until they were fully opened and his vision was 100% clear.

"H-Hey…" Mikey croaked out with a small smile on his face after seeing his brothers again.

"Mikey!" His brothers cheered before they each laid their heads on Mikey's head or shoulders since they couldn't give him a full hug due to his injury.

A moment later, they lifted their heads back up and smiled down at Mikey before Leo spoke up first with tear-filled eyes.

"I'm really glad that you're awake and still with us, Mikey…"

"Yeah, bro, ya had us worried back there…" Raph said next.

Mikey nodded with a sad smile before he whispered, "I-I'm sorry…"

"There's no need to apologise, Mikey…you did what you thought was right… and you not only saved Leo but you also helped save me through your actions," Donnie said softly as he placed a comforting hand on his little brother's cheek, causing Mikey to lean into his brother's hand as he turned towards him.

"Donnie… you're really back…I-I wasn't dreaming after all…" Mikey said before his eyes began to fill with joyful tears.

"That's right, bro…I'm back and doing fine, just like you…so there's no need to worry anymore," Donnie replied with a warm smile whilst wiping away his little brother's tears as they fell down his cheeks.

"How da ya feel by da way, bro?" Raph asked with a hint of concern in his voice when he noticed how tired and in pain Mikey looked earlier.

"Just tired, a-and my stomach hurts a bit…" Mikey replied with a wince after he felt a pulse of pain shoot through his stomach area.

"Don't worry, Mikey; Leatherhead has been helping us out since yesterday and will be back shortly to give you something for the pain after he has brought Master Splinter in here to see you," Donnie explained before he heard the infirmary door open and Leatherhead walked in with a smile on his face when he saw that Mikey was finally awake.

"My friend…" he said as he walked towards Mikey's bed with Master Splinter walking behind him.

"Hi, Leatherhead…" Mikey greeted him tiredly as soon as he arrived at his bedside.

"It is good to see that you are awake, Michelangelo. I was worried that you would take longer to awaken because of how serious your wounds were, but it seems that you are showing signs of a speedy recovery since you were only unconscious since last night," Leatherhead said with a smile before he went to get the much-needed painkiller medicine for Mikey and injected it into the IV fluid bag.

"Michelangelo…my son…" Master Splinter said with tears of relief in his eyes as he came over from behind Leatherhead to his son's bedside and placed a furry hand on his chest and another on his head before he nuzzled him affectionately on his cheek.

"Hi, father…I'm sorry for worrying you…" Mikey said quietly with a sad look on his face.

"There is no need to apologise, my son...you only did what your heart told you to do, and that was to help your brothers, no matter the risk. I am so proud of you, my son…" Master Splinter said softly to his orange-banded son before he wiped the tears from his eyes.

Mikey looked up at his father with a smile on his face and tears developing in his eyes after he heard what was said to him before he said, "Thank you…", and he then began to yawn.

"Looks like the pain medicine is starting to kick in," Donnie said when he saw his brother start to fall asleep not long after the medicine was administered.

"Must be strong stuff if it's making Mikey sleepy," Raph said with a smirk.

"Well, I think he needs more rest since he went through a lot last night," Leo said before he covered Mikey with his blanket up to his shoulders, and then looked at Mikey as he continued speaking. "Also, I need to talk to you about what happened that night once you're fully awake."

Mikey looked at his oldest brother with a confused but worried look on his face, which didn't go unnoticed by everyone around him, including Leo.

"Don't worry, Mikey, you're not in trouble," He quickly reassured his baby brother whilst he stroked his head in comfort.

"Yeah, ya may have worried us all, but ya didn't ask fa dis ta happen ta ya, bro," Raph said in agreement as he gave Mikey's hand a firm but gentle squeeze.

"That's right, Mikey, Leo and I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for your actions last night," Donnie said whilst wearing a warm smile on his face, with Master Splinter and Leatherhead nodding in agreement.

This reassured Mikey greatly before he nodded with a small smile and then began to slowly slip into a well-deserved sleep.

"Man, he's out like a light…" Raph said in disbelief.

"Well, you can't blame him; fighting to stay alive from a serious injury can tire you out massively," Donnie said whilst shaking his head.

"Yeah, I know that all too well since I had a similar experience myself," Leo said in agreement to Donnie's words since he and everyone else knew what he was talking about; the ambush by the Foot Clan and the Shredder long ago that led to Leo fighting for his life at Casey's farmhouse.

"I better go and call April and Casey to let them know that Mikey woke up earlier and is now doing ok," Donnie told everyone before he got out his shell cell and walked out of the infirmary to call his human friends about Mikey's status.

Leatherhead and Master Splinter then followed him shortly afterward as soon as Leatherhead finished giving Mikey's vitals another check-over.

Leo and Raph watched them leave and then turned back to look at their sleeping baby brother before Raph spoke up.

"I'm gonna go get something ta eat. Do ya need anything, bro?"

"I'm ok for now, Raph. Thanks," Leo replied before he watched as Raph nodded and then left the infirmary to grab some food, leaving him alone with Mikey for now.

"Sweet dreams, Mikey, see you when you wake up," Leo whispered softly before he sat back in his chair to continue his watch over his little brother.

_/_

_-Break-_

/

_7 hours later…_

April and Casey came over to the turtles' lair after Donnie told them the good news about Mikey's condition and they were both happy and relieved to hear that he was going to be ok. When they first arrived, they decided to wait and have hot drinks in the living area with Master Splinter and Leatherhead until Mikey was awake again before they could go and see him.

Leo, Raph, and Donnie remained in the infirmary to watch over their baby brother as well as keeping him company so that he wouldn't wake up to find himself all alone in the room.

Leo and Donnie were reading their books whilst Raph was holding Mikey's hand gently in his own and was in a world of his own before he snapped out of it when he suddenly felt his hand being lightly squeezed. He looked at his baby brother's face to see that he was slowly starting to open his eyes.

"Guys, he's waking up…" Raph alerted his brothers quietly to avoiding startling Mikey before Donnie and Leo both raised their heads from their books to see for themselves that their brother was starting to awaken. Once Mikey had fully opened his eyes with a yawn, his older brothers smiled before Donnie spoke to him first in a soft tone.

"Hey, Mikey, how are you feeling?"

Mikey turned his head to where Donnie was seated next to him before he developed a small smile on his face and replied back to him, his voice still raspy from lack of use.

"Hey, Donnie…I'm still alive… just a little sore…in my stomach…" His brothers chuckled a little to what Mikey just said before Donnie spoke again.

"That's normal, Mikey; your stab wound was quite deep to a point where the blade had reached and punctured your stomach wall slightly, so you will have to have light liquid meals until your stomach has fully healed."

This made Mikey's eyes widen in shock after hearing this before he saddened when he found out that he can't eat normal foods like pizza until he was fully healed. His brothers noticed this straight away.

"Don't worry, Mikey, we'll make sure that the liquid food has good flavours in them, and it mainly involves soup anyways," Leo said to try and encourage his brother to feel more positive about this.

"Yeah, and we'll even try ta make it taste like pizza ta keep ya taste buds from getting bored, with da help of April too," Raph said with a smirk on his face.

Mikey laughed at his red-banded brother's words a little since too much could aggravate his injuries because he knew that his older brothers have been known to try and make meals before in the kitchen but they always ended up either blowing up the kitchen or ruining their food.

Then, Mikey remembered that Leo wanted to talk to him about something, so he hesitantly turned to his blue-banded brother before he spoke.

"Hey, Leo? Didn't you need to…talk to me about…something earlier?"

Leo blinked at that question before he nodded with a small smile and sat up properly on his seat, with his other brothers following his lead, and then started to speak with a serious but gentle tone.

"That's right, Mikey. I just wanted to know why you chose to risk your life to save mine instead of giving me a heads-up when that Elite tried to attack me from behind. What drove you to do that, bro?"

Mikey looked at Leo with wide eyes as he remembered that night all too well. He really didn't want to talk about his real reasons for why he put his own life at risk to save Leo's as well as Donnie's, but deep down he knew that he wouldn't be able to talk himself out of this since he was wounded in bed and surrounded by his older brothers on all sides.

After taking a deep breath, Mikey began to speak, with his older brothers closely listening next to him.

"W-Well, the reason why I jumped in the Elite's way…and took the hit for Leo…instead of calling out a warning to him…was because for some time now I felt that I was…not doing enough to be there for you guys…"

Mikey saw his brothers make confused expressions on their faces when they heard his last sentence, so he decided to explain this in more specific detail.

"There were times when…one or all of you bros or Master Splinter would…jump in and save me whenever I'm in trouble…and you would then pay the price…by getting hurt or worse in the process…" By the time he finished saying the last sentence, Mikey's eyes began to fill with tears before he continued on.

"S-So…when I saw Master Splinter…almost die from jumping in front of me to take a hit twice before…and Donnie was turned into a monster…I was angry at myself… because I was too useless to do anything…to prevent any of these events from happening…or repay the debts that I owe you all… since all I've done in return was just…stand there…and did nothing!" The tears in Mikey's eyes began to fall after he said the last word slightly louder before he said one more thing.

"I-I don't blame you guys for…not wanting to be around me…or for getting mad at me cos I'm always the immature one…but I just want you to know that…I would do anything to make you guys happy…That's why I risked my own life to save Leo's that night…cos I wanted to atone and make it up to you…for saving me many times before…"

By now, all three of his brothers looked at Mikey with widened eyes and opened mouths in shock as they processed everything that their baby brother just said with all his heart before they watched with sad looks on their faces as he sniffled and sobbed softly with his eyes closed before they heard him say in a whisper, "I'm sorry...for letting you guys down...so many times in the past..."

Leo was the first to snap out of his shock and regain his senses before he gently gathered Mikey's upper body in his arms and affectionately rested his head against Mikey's before he spoke in a soft tone.

"Shhh…Oh, Mikey…you never should have tried to protect us or fix your past mistakes by putting your life on the line for me or any of us…because we would all be so heartbroken if we lost you that night…"

"Yeah, Mike, and who says dat ya useless and does nothing ta help us? Ya already did a lot fa us as our brother, and ya never let us down!" Raph said as he stroked his baby brother's blanket-covered leg.

"That's right, bro; Master Splinter took the hit for you twice before in the past because he loves you and didn't want anything bad to happen to you, and what happened with me and my secondary mutation was unpredictable and it was all Bishop's fault, and it could have happened to anyone of us," Donnie said in agreement as he grabbed one of Mikey's hand and squeezed it gently to comfort him.

"B-But I-" Mikey tried to speak but was cut off by Leo who squeezed him gently before he spoke.

"Listen to me, Mikey, the reason why we always jump in to save you and risk getting injured is that we are your older brothers and it's our job to protect our little brother, no matter how annoying or immature you are…"

"We will always love you as you are now, bro because you see the good in everyone you meet which allows us to make friends with them…" Donnie said afterward.

"Ya got dat right, and ya always make us happy by getting us ta have fun and have a break from our busy routines," Raph said with a smirk.

"I agree with your brothers, my friend…"

The turtles turned their heads slightly towards the entrance of the infirmary and saw Leatherhead come in and walk towards the bed with a sad but warm smile after seeing Mikey's watery face.

"Michelangelo, if you had not met me and not saw my true nature long ago, I would have still lived a life of loneliness with no friends to turn to, or worse be captured by those like Bishop who would want to torture me as part of their scientific experiments…so for that, I am truly grateful to have met and made a wonderful friend like you…" Leatherhead said softly before he held a hand out towards Mikey.

"Leatherhead…i-it's no problem, buddy…" Mikey said tearfully before he slowly reached and held Leatherhead's hand with his own, and then Leatherhead gave it a gentle squeeze before he let go and spoke again.

"Master Splinter, April, and Casey are in the living room waiting for you to awaken...would you like me to bring them in to see you, my friend?"

Mikey sniffled and wiped his tears as he calmed down from the amount of crying he did before he nodded and said, "Yeah, please…", with a smile on his face. He then watched as Leatherhead nodded and left the infirmary to fetch Master Splinter, April, and Casey.

"You see, Mikey? Leatherhead is just one of the many examples of how your personality and role helps us in this family, and I can't tell you how proud I am of you for saving me, and Donnie too," Leo said proudly to his little brother with his other brothers nodding with a "Yeah" in agreement.

"Thanks, bros…" Mikey said with tears of joy developing in his eyes before he snuggled against his oldest brother in another hug, which Leo gently returned with a warm smile.

"Mikey!"

The turtles turned their heads towards the infirmary door again to see April, Casey and Master Splinter there with Leatherhead before April began to walk quickly towards the bed and gave Mikey a tight but gentle hug after Leo released his little brother.

"I'm so glad you're ok…!" April said after she released Mikey and look at him with joyful tears in her eyes and a warm smile on her face.

"Me too, April…thanks for helping Leatherhead and Donnie…in saving me…" Mikey replied with a tired smile of his own before he heard April say, "No worries, Mikey. It's what friends and family are for…" whilst she was wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Heya, Mikey, welcome back from da Land of Dreams, man," Casey said with a smirk on his face as he placed a hand on Mikey's shoulder.

"Thanks, Casey…good to see you too…" Mikey replied still wearing his smile.

"We are all happy and relieved to see that you are recovering well from your traumatic near-death experience, my son…" Master Splinter said proudly to his youngest son.

"Well, it was all worth it in the end… since it helped us get our Donnie back…" Mikey replied as he reached his immediate older brother's hand and squeezed it gently before he watched as Donnie's eyes widened slightly and a warm smile developed slowly on his face.

"Mikey…" he said with tears developing in his eyes as he gave his little brother's hand a squeeze before he spoke again. "I really can't thank you and everyone around me enough for going through so much trouble to help me…"

"Of course we would, Donnie. You're our brother and friend, and we would always be there to help you when you need us most," Leo said as he placed a comforting hand on Donnie's shoulder.

"And it's like what Mikey said, Donnie; it was all worth it in the end…" Raph said before he smirked and then winked at his baby brother, who responded to this by giving him a thankful smile at him. Everyone else smiled and nodded at Donnie in agreement before they noticed that Mikey was beginning to fall asleep with his eyes drooping.

"Are you tired, Mikey?" Asked Leo softly when he saw his brother trying to stifle a yawn.

"A little…" Mikey responded sleepily before his eyes drooped again.

"I think it's time for another nap, little brother…" Donnie said lovingly to his baby brother before he tucked him in more with his blanket.

"Yeah, ya need ta rest and fully recover, so dat ya can get back on patrols with us," Raph said with encouragement in his voice.

"Y-You really…want me back on patrols…with you guys…?" Mikey questioned his brothers with a surprised look on his face.

"Of course we do, Mikey...! Patrols aren't fun without you livening things up when they get too quiet for our liking," Leo answered him with an encouraging smile on his face.

"That's right, little brother, so don't even think that you don't deserve to be back with us on our patrols and missions, because we really do need you…" Donnie said firmly but softly to his little brother before he wiped away falling tears on Mikey's face when he began to cry after hearing those words.

"Yeah, we really are happy ta have both you and Donnie back with us, bro…" Raph said with a warm smile as he placed his hand on Mikey's shoulder.

"T-Thanks, dudes…" Mikey said with a watery smile as he looked at each of his older brothers before he yawned again and slowly closed his eyes to settle into a deep sleep.

"Sleep well, Mikey, and thank you for your part in bringing me back…" Donnie said lovingly to his baby brother before he gave him a soft kiss on his forehead.

"Thank you for saving my life too, little brother…" Leo said before he gave Mikey a soft kiss on his cheek.

"See ya when ya wake up again, bro…" Raph said softly before he gave Mikey's shoulder a gentle squeeze and letting go of it as he sat back down on his seat.

April and Casey decided to leave the brothers in peace and head back home, with relief now in their hearts and minds knowing that Mikey will fully recover and Donnie is back to his old self again. Leatherhead and Master Splinter also decided to leave the turtle brothers alone in the infirmary and make some tea for themselves. Shortly after everyone left, Donnie also started to yawn.

"You should take a nap too, Donnie. You went through a lot yourself," Leo said softly to his purple-banded brother whilst still wearing his warm smile on his face.

"I know, but I will sleep in here with Mikey. I don't think I want to leave him on his own right now, not after what happened last night…" Donnie replied whilst rubbing his eyes as he got up and went to move another infirmary bed closer to Mikey's bed before he climbed onto it and laid down, falling asleep instantly with his hand on top of his little brother's hand.

Leo and Raph just looked at their sleeping little brothers with warm smiles before Leo grabbed Donnie's blanket, which fell off the bed whilst it was moved next to Mikey's, and placed it over Donnie and pulled it up towards his shoulders and tucked him in with it.

"Rest easy, Donnie, everything's alright now…" Leo said before he gave his purple-banded brother a soft kiss on his head.

"Yeah...Welcome back, bro…" Raph said as he gently patted his brother's shoulder before he and Leo sat back on their seats and carried on with their job as older brothers in watching over their little brothers.

With a feeling of lightness and relief in both their hearts, Leo and Raph knew that everything would be ok, now that the worst was over for Donnie and Mikey both.

The End.


End file.
